Page 49 of Soulmates and Slapshots
“The Blue Rock Thrush.”
“Hmm…never heard of it.”
“Neither had I until Mabel told me about it.”
“We should try to find one,” I say with a grin.
“You mean go bird watching?” she asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah. It could be the date you bid on.”
She laughs. “Is that seriously what you want to do for our date?”
“I don’t care what we do—as long as I’m with you,” I blurt out.
As soon as hear myself say the words, my heart sinks. I usually think before I speak.
Her smile suddenly fades.
Yep, that was too much.
“Are you okay?” I ask gently.
She nods. “Yeah, fine.”
I give her a skeptical look. The energy has obviously shifted between us.
“Bird watching sounds great,” she says brightly. “After all my research, I'd love to see one in person.”
She’s trying to act like everything’s fine, but something’s off. And I can’t shake the feeling it has to do with her upcoming departure from Maple Falls. Whatever it is, I don’t want to push her to talk about it if she’s not ready.
“Great. It’s a date. We will try to find a Blue Rock Thrush.”
Well that’s something I never imagined myself saying.
CHAPTER 16
FIONA
Istare at the ceiling of Aunt Dee’s guest room. I’ve been awake since four am, my mind racing with what I should do next. Admittedly I’m confused. I don’t want to leave Maple Falls, but staying also feels like running away from my problems. Sure, everything here seems easy and safe now, but what happens when I’m not onvacationanymore?
And there’s Weston to consider. The man who has brought me back to life in a very short time. He’s so wonderful, and he deserves someone who has their act together. Not a woman who is hiding out in a small town avoiding real life.
Maybe that’s what I’m doing and it’s time to face the music. I’ve extended this vacation for long enough, and it’s time to take some action.
I sit up and grab my laptop from the nightstand. Leaning against the headboard, I type an email to my boss, Ed. I’ve worked with him for years, and I’ve always respected his advice. I’m hoping he will give me some direction. Our company’s reorganization consists of a large merger, and it’salways concerning when that happens. I truly love what I do, but maybe that season has passed and it’s time to consider other options.
The other thing on my mind is making the right decision. I can’t ignore how carefree I feel in Maple Falls or how I feel when I’m with Weston. I’m just not sure if we’re both caught up in the moment and exhilaration of being in a new place. Things seem to have moved really fast for us. What if it’s too good to be true?
This is really happening.
We did it.
After weeks of digging through documents and old newspapers, and Mabel talking to Willa, we finally have confirmation. Because of the rare Blue Rock Thrush, Maple Falls Park and the surrounding land are now officially protected.
I dropped the information off at the local paper, and my heart was racing the entire time.
That MacDonald guy is about to have another bad day. First, the discovery of the time capsule and now this. Honestly, it serves him right. If he truly cared about his family’s land, he would’ve shown his face in Maple Falls instead of sending his minions.
